UEFA 2012, Champions league, etc.

[Azza]

Manchester City & United are setting the EPL on fire! Should b a good season of football.

Aaron

[rtb178]

Long time Arsenal fan checking in.

+1. Hope you didn't watch yesterday.

[rm71]

Anyone watch this round of Champions League games?

[Don Barbiere]

You know i did :) some quality soccer and diverse type of play and tactics, like it, love how AC Milan came back and also Benfica vs Man U game was awesome. Man C and Napoli was also very exciting !

[zeeco]

I knew Benfica were good, but not that good, they really impressed me although Man United won't allow them to play that kind of game at OT, wish i had seen the AC Barca game

[rm71]

Anyone see that sitter Fernando Torres missed??

[zeeco]

Anyone see that sitter Fernando Torres missed??

Yep, still laughing, he took the first goal very well as it was instinctive, but he seems to go to pieces when he has time to think about it, he really could make all the differences to Chelsea's title hopes if he regains his form.....let's hope not.

[Wildalaska]

Yay! Football!

Hers my pics for the Prem: Man U, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Stoke.

Thank god I can finally talk football. I get up at 4am to watch it live.

[Wildalaska]

Anyone see that sitter Fernando Torres missed??

Wasnt any worse than Rooneys slip

[rm71]

Wasnt any worse than Rooneys slip

Torres only cost 80 million pounds...

[Wildalaska]

Torres only cost 80 million pounds...

Abramovich can afford it.

I dont think Torres is worth it. He is slick and a good player, but even at Liverpool I suspected him as not being quite tough enough

[Don Barbiere]

They were both funny actually :)

[Wildalaska]

They were both funny actually :)

even Rooney was laughing.

Now as to the Spurs...can you say Adebayoooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[zeeco]

Wasnt any worse than Rooneys slip

Yes it was, far worse...as you said Rooney slipped, Torres missed an open goal.

[Wildalaska]

Yes it was, far worse...as you said Rooney slipped, Torres missed an open goal.

Torres and Rooney both made mental errors...Torres either not concentrating or being too lacsadaisical, Rooney by not checking the turf...I think he had his new endorse-a-boots on too...

[Don Barbiere]

Torres and Rooney both made mental errors...Torres either not concentrating or being too lacsadaisical, Rooney by not checking the turf...I think he had his new endorse-a-boots on too...


I bet you Nike was pissed:) Cant wait to watch some soccer!

There are some good match ups, go CSKA Moscow!

[rm71]

I bet you Nike was pissed:) Cant wait to watch some soccer!

There are some good match ups, go CSKA Moscow!

Yep, the Champions League beats anything going around IMO.

[Don Barbiere]

Yep, the Champions League beats anything going around IMO.

Yap and the game between Man U and Basel proves it!

[hitemfrank]

Yap and the game between Man U and Basel proves it!

Stupid Man Utd cost me money tonight. They were the only team out of the five I picked that didn't win.

I'm not a United fan so at least I enjoyed watching the frustrations of a friend who is :lol:

[rm71]

Kaka missed an easy shot. Poor from someone of that caliber!

[Don Barbiere]

Kaka missed an easy shot. Poor from someone of that caliber!

Ya but he was the most active and participated in all 3 goals, including scoring one.

[Don Barbiere]

Stupid Man Utd cost me money tonight. They were the only team out of the five I picked that didn't win.

I'm not a United fan so at least I enjoyed watching the frustrations of a friend who is :lol:

Did you loose money or did not make as much, consider yourself lucky if you made money at the end of the day!

[hitemfrank]

Lost money because of them. Had a five team accumulator (parlay) and they were all going the right way until the 60th minute of the Man United game.

The other 4 games all ended in the right way.

[Don Barbiere]

Does anybody here participate in the UEFA Fantasy League here ? If we have some players we can do B&B Fantasy League!

[Don Barbiere]

Here is a code to enter B&B Forum League on UEFA.com, it's free. Scoring starts on match day 3 since may be others already have started. Code: 6081-39235, it is private just for B&B members! Here is link to register http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/ !

[rntdcarvalho]

Here is a code to enter B&B Forum League on UEFA.com, it's free. Scoring starts on match day 3 since may be others already have started. Code: 6081-39235, it is private just for B&B members! Here is link to register http://en.uclfantasy.uefa.com/ !

Just joined! It's a pity it only starts on Matchday 3 as I'm first on my two other leagues with 125 points! :D

Go Benfica!!

[rntdcarvalho]

I knew Benfica were good, but not that good, they really impressed me although Man United won't allow them to play that kind of game at OT, wish i had seen the AC Barca game

I think they didn't play all that good! We have a good team this year but not as good as the team from two seasons ago, we lost Di Maria and Fabio Coentrão for Real Madrid and Ramires and David Luiz to Chelsea! We would have won the UEFA Cup that year if it wasn't for Torres greatest game ever on Liverpool (that SOB)! We certainly had a better team than Atlético de Madrid who eventually won (Torres was injured for the two games against them, if only he had been injured against Benfica...)!

[Don Barbiere]

Just joined! It's a pity it only starts on Matchday 3 as I'm first on my two other leagues with 125 points! :D

Go Benfica!!
I know I have points too but to be fair to the rest the people that have not signed in I started it n day 3. Thanks for joining,hopefully more people will join in! 125 is very impressive score so far!

[hitemfrank]

I'll join in later tonight or by game day 3 at least. The last time I took part in a league for the Champions League it didn't go well at all so hopefully that wont happen again.

[Don Barbiere]

I'll join in later tonight or by game day 3 at least. The last time I took part in a league for the Champions League it didn't go well at all so hopefully that wont happen again.

It did not go well for me either :) for the last 3 years, oh well, it is fun non the less, we can't wait for you and others to join in!

[hitemfrank]

Hell if we all do badly, at least it will be competitive!

[Don Barbiere]

Hell if we all do badly, at least it will be competitive!
Haha, I like the way you look at it :)

[Wildalaska]

Im really working to get to Europe for the finals next year. Its in Munich isnt it?

[rntdcarvalho]

I know I have points too but to be fair to the rest the people that have not signed in I started it n day 3. Thanks for joining,hopefully more people will join in! 125 is very impressive score so far!


Pure luck! The fist Matchday didn't go so well because I forgot Puyol was injured and Jones din't start the mach against Benfica, also picked Cristiano Ronaldo for captain and he "skunked"! But Matchday 2 was alright!


It's my pleasure to join, and I have to start contributing more to this thread!

[hitemfrank]

Im really working to get to Europe for the finals next year. Its in Munich isnt it?

Yep, it's in the Allianz Arena in Munich which looks like a fantastic stadium.

[Wildalaska]

Yep, it's in the Allianz Arena in Munich which looks like a fantastic stadium.

Well hell, if I can go, I hope I can hoist a few with my Euro brethren

[zeeco]

Well hell, if I can go, I hope I can hoist a few with my Euro brethren

If you get two big teams like MAN UTD vs Barcelona, be prepared to pay $2-4,000 for a ticket, if you lose the ballot

[Malakas1981]

My team Olympiacos isn't dong well at all! There's always the Europa cup

[rntdcarvalho]

Matchday 3 starts tomorrow!! Everybody's finished ensembling their Dream Team??

[hitemfrank]

Thanks for the reminder. I'll get on that later.

[hitemfrank]

Ok, my team is in.

I have given my team a name to inspire confidence.

[Don Barbiere]

Ok, my team is in.

I have given my team a name to inspire confidence.

Haha, thanks for registering, we got 6 teams for now..it should be fun!

[rntdcarvalho]

Ok, my team is in.

I have given my team a name to inspire confidence.


LOL!

Don't worry, it's just for laughs! I expect some friendly banter, but not aggressive or competitive!
And the most important thing is that Benfica wins 5-0 or more over Basileia today! :001_tt2:

[hitemfrank]

A 5-0 win for Benfica over Basel would do nicely for me. I have some Benfica players in my team :001_smile

[Don Barbiere]

A 5-0 win for Benfica over Basel would do nicely for me. I have some Benfica players in my team :001_smile

They can win 5-0 and none of your fantasy players score a goal or good points :)

[hitemfrank]

It's a chance I'd be happy to take.

[Don Barbiere]

It's a chance I'd be happy to take.

Thats for sure... I got one player from Benfica (Aimar) and one from Basel(F.Frei).... Basel is actually a very good team! I was pleasantly surprised how they played against Man U! Good luck, it should be lots of fun :)

[Don Barbiere]

Remember if you have a player that does not score points or low point you can substitute with players that will play on second day for a chance to pick up some points!

[hitemfrank]

Remember if you have a player that does not score points or low point you can substitute with players that will play on second day for a chance to pick up some points!

Thanks for this tip. I didn't know about that.

[Don Barbiere]

Thanks for this tip. I didn't know about that.
Youa re welcome,also, once you make subs or any changes, make sure you click on the save button, otherwise changes will not be made... you do not have to sub a striker for striker or mid for mid but it has to be a legitimate formation... also you can transfer a player for free after each match day but more than 1 will cost you 2 points from your score, once the match day end you will see what you can and cannot do! If you got any questions just ask!

[rntdcarvalho]

Well not 5-0, but 2-0 was good enough! The bad part is that Emerson got an unfair second Yellow Card and our coach Jesus was sent off too!
After seeing them play I have no idea how they managed go almost win at Old Trafford, they are a pretty simple process team that can be easily controlled, with only one really good player, Shaqiri (that didn't even played the last two games after a three games suspension last year)!

As for Benfica players for your teams, I have two, Emerson and Gaitán. There is still some doubts over who is starting in the left attacking side, Bruno César or Nolito, both good players. Nolito started the season but Bruno César has been starting lately and has been scoring in every game! I wouldn't recommend Aimar has he is very important tactically but not a good scorer, at the most he'll make a couple of assists. Luisão is also a great defender and will probably score some goals in corner kicks situation!

[Don Barbiere]

Well not 5-0, but 2-0 was good enough! The bad part is that Emerson got an unfair second Yellow Card and our coach Jesus was sent off too!
After seeing them play I have no idea how they managed go almost win at Old Trafford, they are a pretty simple process team that can be easily controlled, with only one really good player, Shaqiri (that didn't even played the last two games after a three games suspension last year)!

As for Benfica players for your teams, I have two, Emerson and Gaitán. There is still some doubts over who is starting in the left attacking side, Bruno César or Nolito, both good players. Nolito started the season but Bruno César has been starting lately and has been scoring in every game! I wouldn't recommend Aimar has he is very important tactically but not a good scorer, at the most he'll make a couple of assists. Luisão is also a great defender and will probably score some goals in corner kicks situation!

Ya , Aimar is great payer but like you said he doe not score a lot, I am thinking of trading him, but I will wait till next round to decide who will replace him. I also got couple of others that did not produce lots of points. On top of that I have two Lyon players that brought me nothing this round while Ronaldo did bring a little bit with that 4:0 win.

Keith, you are not last, I am :) Good job buddy!

[hotreds]

http://cdn3.staztic.com/screenshots/forza-juve-20102011-1-1.jpg

[rntdcarvalho]

Ya , Aimar is great payer but like you said he doe not score a lot, I am thinking of trading him, but I will wait till next round to decide who will replace him. I also got couple of others that did not produce lots of points. On top of that I have two Lyon players that brought me nothing this round while Ronaldo did bring a little bit with that 4:0 win.

Keith, you are not last, I am :) Good job buddy!

Yeah... this round didn't went so well for me... Mata and Puyol didn't even played, what's up with that?
Would like to change two or three players....

Congratulations Adam and Keith for two excellently picked teams... but the south (of the scoring, of course) will rise again!!!

[hitemfrank]

Matchday 4 today.

Everyone have their team sorted out?

[Don Barbiere]

Matchday 4 today.

Everyone have their team sorted out?

I hope so :) I am last so I need some points but most of my players play tomorrow , good start for AC Milan!

[hitemfrank]

Not a good finish for them though.

[Don Barbiere]

Not a good finish for them though.

Not good at all, second half was terrible like my score today in FL :)

[hitemfrank]

I watched the final 30 minutes of the AC Milan game and they looked really poor. I thought BATE looked more likely to get the win than Milan.

[Don Barbiere]

I watched the final 30 minutes of the AC Milan game and they looked really poor. I thought BATE looked more likely to get the win than Milan.

First half and some in second, AC Milan looked good and missed a lot of chances. But after the penalty is when they struggled to rebound!

[rntdcarvalho]

Didn't really like the way Milan was playing, they have good players, combative players, but they lack a certain class in midfield! In the past they've had Rui Costa, Pirlo, Kaká, players that could tie together all the different players, defensive and attacking, playmakers, and now? They're depending on the two forwards to resolve the games, but there is a gap between them and midfield that only Boateng, at times, will bridge!
Really liked the way the referee punished Agate with the penalty, he did a play straight out of the book of dirty defending so typical of Italians that most of the times goes unnoticed by the referees!

On the league, really happy I've switch the captain's position to Messi, but after seeing him play on the previous game of La Liga, where he scored another hat-trick, I knew it had to be done! Just hope Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't make me regret the decision today! Let's see if today is the day that Benfica get's to secure it's passage out of group phase!

[Don Barbiere]

Didn't really like the way Milan was playing, they have good players, combative players, but they lack a certain class in midfield! In the past they've had Rui Costa, Pirlo, Kaká, players that could tie together all the different players, defensive and attacking, playmakers, and now? They're depending on the two forwards to resolve the games, but there is a gap between them and midfield that only Boateng, at times, will bridge!
Really liked the way the referee punished Agate with the penalty, he did a play straight out of the book of dirty defending so typical of Italians that most of the times goes unnoticed by the referees!



On the league, really happy I've switch the captain's position to Messi, but after seeing him play on the previous game of La Liga, where he scored another hat-trick, I knew it had to be done! Just hope Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't make me regret the decision today! Let's see if today is the day that Benfica get's to secure it's passage out of group phase!

AC Milan does need a offensive middle, all the middle players they have are not typical playmakers , somebody that orchestrates the play...like Rui Costa, one of my favorites all time. A true play maker.. AC Milan had so many during the years but not now... Here is Rui Costa.. Thank you for bringing back good memories. He was a pleasure to watch.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueiyfDAkxuU&feature=related

[Don Barbiere]

Didn't really like the way Milan was playing, they have good players, combative players, but they lack a certain class in midfield! In the past they've had Rui Costa, Pirlo, Kaká, players that could tie together all the different players, defensive and attacking, playmakers, and now? They're depending on the two forwards to resolve the games, but there is a gap between them and midfield that only Boateng, at times, will bridge!
Really liked the way the referee punished Agate with the penalty, he did a play straight out of the book of dirty defending so typical of Italians that most of the times goes unnoticed by the referees!

On the league, really happy I've switch the captain's position to Messi, but after seeing him play on the previous game of La Liga, where he scored another hat-trick, I knew it had to be done! Just hope Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't make me regret the decision today! Let's see if today is the day that Benfica get's to secure it's passage out of group phase!

One think I can not agree with though, those little tricks you are talking about are practiced by many clubs all over the world not just Italian clubs, unfortunately it takes away from the game and I agree it should be punished, but many times it is not!

[rntdcarvalho]

One think I can not agree with though, those little tricks you are talking about are practiced by many clubs all over the world not just Italian clubs, unfortunately it takes away from the game and I agree it should be punished, but many times it is not!

You're right, it isn't an Italian exclusive! Some of the best central defenders in history were Italians, I still remember watching Franco Baresi playing, Nesta at his best, Cannavaro... but Materazzi was the dirtiest player I ever saw, I still remember a couple of games of Inter against Benfica and Sporting... Jesus he drove me nuts!

[franz]

Materazzi is almost universally disliked even in Italy (except for Inter fans)... Baresi, Nesta, and Cannavaro were honest defenders, Matrix was a thug.

[hitemfrank]

I remember Materazzi having a short spell at Everton and thinking he was a terrible defender.

Wikipedia tells me he played 27 times and was sent off 4 times in that one season. Not exactly ideal...

[Don Barbiere]

You're right, it isn't an Italian exclusive! Some of the best central defenders in history were Italians, I still remember watching Franco Baresi playing, Nesta at his best, Cannavaro... but Materazzi was the dirtiest player I ever saw, I still remember a couple of games of Inter against Benfica and Sporting... Jesus he drove me nuts!

Baresi, ahh, a dream.. Razzi , I agree he is dirty, never like him!


Materazzi is almost universally disliked even in Italy (except for Inter fans)... Baresi, Nesta, and Cannavaro were honest defenders, Matrix was a thug.

Agree, and may be only another game where he was admired. The final between Italy and France when he got Zidan the red card for the head butt!


I remember Materazzi having a short spell at Everton and thinking he was a terrible defender.

Wikipedia tells me he played 27 times and was sent off 4 times in that one season. Not exactly ideal...

:) Never knew that, good statistic, haha! He ain't in my FL!

[lu20vt]

Gentlemen, my console crashed after registering to play, if I tarry not buy another lot in the meantime visitate this forum and


HALA MADRID!! :thumbup:

[zeeco]

Maldini was a decent defender with a good career.

I was at old Trafford on Saturday and this Man Utd squad will not win anything, four new midfielders are needed, a new Giggs, Beckham, Keane and Scholes would be nice.

[rntdcarvalho]

Maldini was a decent defender with a good career.

I was at old Trafford on Saturday and this Man Utd squad will not win anything, four new midfielders are needed, a new Giggs, Beckham, Keane and Scholes would be nice.

Maldini was more than decent, starter for Milan at age 17 as a left defender, that's not for everyone!! When he turned (or was turned) central defender, not as good!

I hope Man Utd doesn't win it's next game against Benfica, I really do! :wink2:

[Don Barbiere]

Maldini was great, his chalenges are hard but yet so clean, here are one of my favourite of his but there are so many.

3:07, 5:50, 7:15


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3WeVch62t4

[hitemfrank]

Everyone have their team in order for today's games? There is an early kick off today which starts in about 3 hours, in case anyone didn't know.

[Don Barbiere]

Thanks Keith,i need to do good this week so ican cath up :)

[rntdcarvalho]

I totally sunk! Forgot to check teams, 3 players didn't play and had Emerson in the bench (punished in the previous match) and forgot to put him back as starter... 33 points!

On the upside Benfica will most probably be first in their group (needs a win against Otelul at home)... so YAY!! :thumbup:


Keith, you're just embarrassing everybody else, are you getting some insider tips? :001_tt2:

[hitemfrank]

Don't worry Renato, I'm sure I'll have a disaster of a week at some point.

I got a bit lucky this week as I had made Ronaldo as my captain. I mean Madrid playing against Zagreb so I was expecting him to get me lots of points. He didn't even come on so had to put in my back up striker.

Thankfully Messi made up some points for me, even if he did lose me two points for a stupid yellow card.

[Don Barbiere]

Don't worry Renato, I'm sure I'll have a disaster of a week at some point.

I got a bit lucky this week as I had made Ronaldo as my captain. I mean Madrid playing against Zagreb so I was expecting him to get me lots of points. He didn't even come on so had to put in my back up striker.

Thankfully Messi made up some points for me, even if he did lose me two points for a stupid yellow card.

I had Ronaldo as captain and I switched to Messi so it was not that bad !

[hitemfrank]

Only about 80 minutes before the closing time to sort out your fantasy teams for this weeks matches.

[Don Barbiere]

Not too many points scored today, waiting for tomorrow games. Keith you are killing us :)

[hitemfrank]

I got 9 points yesterday. If only it would actually let me bring someone on from my bench. He should come in as an automatic transfer so maybe this week won't be too terrible for me.

[Don Barbiere]

Anybody dare to discuss group D? :)

[hitemfrank]

Group D? That was the group with Real Madrid, Lyon, Ajax and Zagreb.

Real were easy winners of the group and Zagreb finished last (to be expected really).

I'm honestly not so surprised with Lyon scoring 7 against Zagreb. I watched 2 of Zagrebs matches was surprised they had not lost my large scores more often. Having a player sent off early against Lyon didn't help them either.

The way the group finished means I have to find a new goalkeeper for the next round of matches so I'm not so happy about that.

[Don Barbiere]

I agree that Zagreb is not that good of a team but looking at the game it just seems that the players including the goalie were just bystanders, there was multiple situations where 3 guys from Lyon were left alone against the goalie. I have always liked Lyon but this year they are not the team they used to be the last 7 years including the local league and now all of a sudden 6 goals in 30 minutes. One of the goals was clearly offside as well. On top of that the game between Ajax and RM, the ref made sure to disallow 2 goals of Ajax for offside when they were not. Call me paranoid but there are just too many coincidences including the famous handball of Thierry Henry. I believe that there are not any games played under the table but it just seemed odd and left a bad taste in my mouth.You guys be the judge!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAq7PE6RVYM&feature=related

and you can see the highlights of the other game here


http://cl.sportal.bg/video/play-378.html

[hitemfrank]

Yeah all in all I think Lyon got really lucky with the goal difference.

I'm not a believer in the conspiracy but think it was just really poor officiating in the Ajax game. Hopefully that team of officials get no more games in this years competition.

[Don Barbiere]

BTW you get unlimited transfers for the round of 16 so you can trade whoever you want, of course you have to stay within budget!

[hitemfrank]

That's a very good thing for me. I really need to fix my team.

[rntdcarvalho]

On top of that the game between Ajax and RM, the ref made sure to disallow 2 goals of Ajax for offside when they were not.

Portuguese referee... they're the worst kind! No conspiracy there, just pure ol' incompetence! Now you see what I have to deal with every week!?!?!?


The draw for the 2nd phase was today and I couldn't be more pleased! Benfica vs Zenit!! Watched their games against Porto, good team, solid defending, excellent goalkeeper, they should provide a good test of Benfica's abilities and, with some luck, Benfica will reach the next phase!!!

Now to focus on our fantasy league...

[hitemfrank]

It's time for this thread to get a bump. The last 16 of the Champions League are on tomorrow and Wednesday.

So get your teams sorted for the league. For the first leg of the games we can make as many transfers as we want so I imaginie a few of us will be completely rebuilding our teams.


There are some good looking games in this round too. AC Milan v Arsenal looks like it could be the tie of the round, although the Napoli v Chelsea games could be interesting as the Chelsea manager is under a lot of pressure following a poor run of form (and Napoli play pretty good football)

There are three ties which I expect should be comfortable enough. Bayern Munich should be too strong for Basel, Real Madrid should be too strong for CSKA Moska and Lyon should win against APOEL. APOEL have been the surprise team in this years tournament but I don't think they will progress past this stage.

[Don Barbiere]

Portuguese referee... they're the worst kind! No conspiracy there, just pure ol' incompetence! Now you see what I have to deal with every week!?!?!?


The draw for the 2nd phase was today and I couldn't be more pleased! Benfica vs Zenit!! Watched their games against Porto, good team, solid defending, excellent goalkeeper, they should provide a good test of Benfica's abilities and, with some luck, Benfica will reach the next phase!!!

Now to focus on our fantasy league...

I did not suspect that at all, I do watch the highlights for the Portuguese League but did not have impression on the refereeing.


It's time for this thread to get a bump. The last 16 of the Champions League are on tomorrow and Wednesday.

So get your teams sorted for the league. For the first leg of the games we can make as many transfers as we want so I imaginie a few of us will be completely rebuilding our teams.


There are some good looking games in this round too. AC Milan v Arsenal looks like it could be the tie of the round, although the Napoli v Chelsea games could be interesting as the Chelsea manager is under a lot of pressure following a poor run of form (and Napoli play pretty good football)

There are three ties which I expect should be comfortable enough. Bayern Munich should be too strong for Basel, Real Madrid should be too strong for CSKA Moska and Lyon should win against APOEL. APOEL have been the surprise team in this years tournament but I don't think they will progress past this stage.


I am ready :) Thanks for the reminder.

[Azza]

Expect Chelsea to have a new manager next season, if they fail in the UCL.

Aaron

[hitemfrank]

It really wouldn't be a surprise if Andre Villas-Boas was replaced at the end of the season.

I do think he should be given more time though and be allowed to build his own team instead of having to deal with players signed by various managers in previous seasons.

[celestino]

Chelsea's owner has no patience. He should have given complete control to Mourinho when he was there. It was the biggest mistake to have let him go.

[Azza]

Agree. Real r looking strong!

Aaron

[Azza]

I take that back. They were very ordinary against CSKA!

Aaron

[hitemfrank]

Yeah they weren't great but they probably still should have won the game.

I don't think they'll have any trouble in the second leg.

[KyMash]

What was the impact Thierry Henry made recently while he has been on loan. Did he suit up for Arsenal briefly?

[hitemfrank]

I think it was 5 games played and 3 goals scored. He looked better on the pitch than some of Arsenals current options from what I saw.

[Tordu]

I have watched some Arsenal's games since Henry came back , and for sure he doesn't have lost his sense of scoring , but his speed and stamina have gone away.It was kind of sad to see him walking most of the time.

[Sanxenxo]

Hey guys I'm new to the forum and I find great this forum. Well Although I want that Napoli win the champions I personally believe that right now, Barcelona is unbeatable...and I think the final could well be Madrid -Barça

[rntdcarvalho]

Hey guys!

I see Keith is still making a killing... the only chance you'll be last right now is if we reverse the scoring system!! Golf anyone?? :001_tt2:


I did not suspect that at all, I do watch the highlights for the Portuguese League but did not have impression on the refereeing.

Benfica just lost to Porto 2-3 with a goal who's scorer was clearly offside... I hate to lose against Porto but I liked it because the first and second of Porto's goals were Emerson's fault, the worst left defender we ever had... (clear exaggeration but I really dislike him) I really hoped the board would see the error in their ways for selling a world class left defender, Fábio Coentrão for 30M to Real Madrid, and then spending nothing!!!, absolutely nothing on it's replacement!! But instead they preferred to blame it on the referee...
Our President has this really twisted purchase theory (I'm guessing) where you can buy crappy players and spend 5-8M on them as long as they play from the midfield forward and then turns down great defensive players if the cost more than 2M!! This year we had two major flops, the more obvious and totally consensual, Enzo Peréz, 5.5M, got here, got injured for 4 months, said he wont play more for Benfica, went on his Christmas vacations and didn't come back, said he wanted to return to his old Argentinean club... complicated story got fined but got his wish and is now playing on loan on his former club... loan of 100,000$ so that was just 5.4M down the drain, and second Bruno César, to me a terrible player that does something good once in a while, costed 6.5M. Not to mention Capdevilla, enormous salary and doesn't play we are not sure why, problably the coach just doesn't like him...

I have no idea how we made it so far in the Champions...


I want to address the André Villas-Boas (AVB) sacking... it was Abramovich's fault! You can't have a team where the older players are more powerful than the coach! And AVB wasn't even the first to suffer at their hands... You can't spent 15 million euros just to release AVB from Porto and then throw him under the bus like that, Abramovich never had his back which is a really stupid attitude after spending so much money on him! He didn't sell the players AVB wanted to sell, he didn't buy the players AVB wanted to buy... he was given almost no power but still had full responsibility over everything! Abramovich wants to play manager but doesn't have the know how or the capacity to take the blame, to assume responsibility... he bought Sevchenko at it's lowest for an exaggerate sum and didn't allow Mourinho to buy the forward he wanted for a lot less money, he did the same with Torres... he spends a lot of money in overpriced players the team doesn't need and then says no to a lot of players the coach wants that are really necessary to the team, like midfielders and defenders... it just doesn't make any sense... and then another coach gets sacked... it will happen again!

[hitemfrank]

Hey guys!

I see Keith is still making a killing... the only chance you'll be last right now is if we reverse the scoring system!! Golf anyone?? :001_tt2:


I only have 4 players left to play and I don't expect them to get that many points - well Ronaldo might but the rest probably not.



I want to address the André Villas-Boas (AVB) sacking... it was Abramovich's fault! You can't have a team where the older players are more powerful than the coach! And AVB wasn't even the first to suffer at their hands... You can't spent 15 million euros just to release AVB from Porto and then throw him under the bus like that, Abramovich never had his back which is a really stupid attitude after spending so much money on him! He didn't sell the players AVB wanted to sell, he didn't buy the players AVB wanted to buy... he was given almost no power but still had full responsibility over everything! Abramovich wants to play manager but doesn't have the know how or the capacity to take the blame, to assume responsibility... he bought Sevchenko at it's lowest for an exaggerate sum and didn't allow Mourinho to buy the forward he wanted for a lot less money, he did the same with Torres... he spends a lot of money in overpriced players the team doesn't need and then says no to a lot of players the coach wants that are really necessary to the team, like midfielders and defenders... it just doesn't make any sense... and then another coach gets sacked... it will happen again!

I have to agree with just about everything you said there. Many of the senior players seem have way too much power in the club. There have been reports that Abramovich told the first team squad that they are playing for their futures at the club but I have a feeling that some of the more senior players aren't included in this.

With the new financial rules coming into play soon I can't see Chelsea spending money like they used to. They are going to have to sell some players and I can't see many of the players getting sold for anything near what Chelsea would want for them.

I mean, in his current form who would give more than £10 million for Torres? Maybe Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia but they are going to be under the same financial rules and they probably have less than 10% of Chelsea's income for a season. He was in fairly poor form for the last 6 months at Liverpool so I'm amazed we managed to get £50 million for him.

Chelsea have been through 7 managers in 8 seasons (or thereabouts) and what manager is going to take on that job? I doubt Mourinho will go back to them as I don't think he and Abramovich get on with each other. Guus Hiddink did a pretty good job for Chelsea but is now the manager of Anzhi Makhachkala (18 month contract worth reportedly £12.5 million so I don't see Chelsea buying him out of it).

Rafael Benitez maybe? Although I think he will wait until the summer and see what happens with Mourinho at Real Madrid as it's a job he would love.

[xXClockwork]

What an exciting match that was! It was really hard for me to imagine Chelsea getting through.

[Sanxenxo]

well guys we're approaching quarter finals, so far Real Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Olympique de Marseille, Appoel Nicosia and Benfica are still on the road. In a couple days there will be the series but this is how i would like them to do (me being a madrid fan)

Real Madrid - Chelsea (I would like Mourinho going back to Stamford Bridge, would be fun)
Barcelona - Milan (Would also be a special game, especially if Ibrahimovic has the opportunity to play)
Olympique Marseille - Benfica (Both teams are really similar, would be really an even game)
Bayern Munich - Appoel Nicosia (Not really interested but i think is a good opportunity to see the real strength of BM a.k.a Germany National Team)

What do you guys think?

[hitemfrank]

They would be some good matches. If Bayern did end up against Appoel I wouldn't be surprised to see them post another impressive score at home.

I would love to see Appoel get through another round but I just can't see it happening unfortunately.

[Sanxenxo]

Well maybe the Appoel could have some chance if they face Marseille, especially considering that some players (the GK among others) wouldn't be able to play the first match.

[hitemfrank]

I know Marseille are without Mandanda for the first leg of the next round but didn't see who else will be missing. Appoel or Benfica are probably the opposition they would hope to be against in the next round but I suppose at this stage of the competition it doesn't matter too much. They should all be tough games.


In other news Athletic Bilboa put in two great performances against Man United and are through to the last 8 of the Europa League. The 5-3 aggregate scoreline doesn't do justice to just how much better Bilboa were over the two legs.

I've seen a few of Bilboa's games this season and quite like how they go about things. Wouldn't mind seeing them go all the way and win it.

[Sanxenxo]

well the matches are set. Needless to say, the most attractive seems to be Barcelona - Milan but my vote goes for Barça. the other matches of Madrid -Appoel, Marseille -Bayern and Benfica -Chelsea, My vote goes for Madrid, Bayern and Chelsea. Anyway, in this stage of the competition, matches are really interesting

[hitemfrank]

The Barcelona-Milan game could be a great tie. Definitely tie of the round.

I agree with your choices of who will progress to the semi-finals. Should be some really good games.

[Indigo3]

Hey guys!

I see Keith is still making a killing... the only chance you'll be last right now is if we reverse the scoring system!! Golf anyone?? :001_tt2:



Benfica just lost to Porto 2-3 with a goal who's scorer was clearly offside... I hate to lose against Porto but I liked it because the first and second of Porto's goals were Emerson's fault, the worst left defender we ever had... (clear exaggeration but I really dislike him) I really hoped the board would see the error in their ways for selling a world class left defender, Fábio Coentrão for 30M to Real Madrid, and then spending nothing!!!, absolutely nothing on it's replacement!! But instead they preferred to blame it on the referee...
Our President has this really twisted purchase theory (I'm guessing) where you can buy crappy players and spend 5-8M on them as long as they play from the midfield forward and then turns down great defensive players if the cost more than 2M!! This year we had two major flops, the more obvious and totally consensual, Enzo Peréz, 5.5M, got here, got injured for 4 months, said he wont play more for Benfica, went on his Christmas vacations and didn't come back, said he wanted to return to his old Argentinean club... complicated story got fined but got his wish and is now playing on loan on his former club... loan of 100,000$ so that was just 5.4M down the drain, and second Bruno César, to me a terrible player that does something good once in a while, costed 6.5M. Not to mention Capdevilla, enormous salary and doesn't play we are not sure why, problably the coach just doesn't like him...

I have no idea how we made it so far in the Champions...


I want to address the André Villas-Boas (AVB) sacking... it was Abramovich's fault! You can't have a team where the older players are more powerful than the coach! And AVB wasn't even the first to suffer at their hands... You can't spent 15 million euros just to release AVB from Porto and then throw him under the bus like that, Abramovich never had his back which is a really stupid attitude after spending so much money on him! He didn't sell the players AVB wanted to sell, he didn't buy the players AVB wanted to buy... he was given almost no power but still had full responsibility over everything! Abramovich wants to play manager but doesn't have the know how or the capacity to take the blame, to assume responsibility... he bought Sevchenko at it's lowest for an exaggerate sum and didn't allow Mourinho to buy the forward he wanted for a lot less money, he did the same with Torres... he spends a lot of money in overpriced players the team doesn't need and then says no to a lot of players the coach wants that are really necessary to the team, like midfielders and defenders... it just doesn't make any sense... and then another coach gets sacked... it will happen again!

I mainly agree with you about Abramovich Rmtd except as a former Chelsea scout AvB should have known exactly what he was walking into, personally I didn't think he managed the players well despite their egos and apparent power. The best way to deal with such players is to pamper their egos for as long as you need them and then chop them off at the knees when you don't. He alienated them and clearly caused a rift in the camp which led to those poor results and then his sacking. If Abramovich turned up to training to help enforce his authority that was the beginning of the end, that's like your Mum helping you out in a fight, anyway how good is this Benfica team and who do you expect to succeed?

[Don Barbiere]

The big game is today folks.. AC MILAN vs BARCA http://www.footballpictures.net/data/media/415/acmilan.gif

[hitemfrank]

So... the Champions League final is on tonight. Anyone want to make a prediction?

I think it's going to be a fairly tight game but think Bayern Munich to win. Bayern may be looking to make up for their poor showing in the German cup final last week (a 5-2 loss to Dortmund) so I think they might just edge the game.

[Dennard]

I'll be watching but I'm still deciding who to root for. Don't really have a prediction.

[xXClockwork]

Chelsea have done it!

[Rushman2112]

Only took Ambromovic GBP1bn to buy the trophy.

[Kevan]

Not a Chelsea fan but this cup run was amazing from them. I don't like seeing "bought trophy" comments because that belittles year after year of tough campaigns. The NFL season and Super Bowl absolutely PALES in comparison to titles in European football, especially the UCL, and the level of competition year after year is what brings me back and why I haven't missed a final since '99. The press in Spain and Germany may hate the way Chelsea won it this year, but they won it, and comparisons to Greece in Euro 2004 are unfair as well. Chelsea were completely directionless in March. Dead in the water. Di Matteo came in and had an astounding revitalization effect on them. He got his tactics right in three huge knockout ties as well as this final and got this bunch of old guys and mediocre/unproven players playing like heroes.

Just like Istanbul 2005, a fantastic occasion for the neutral fan.

[lu20vt]

The football you back what you stole, Chelsea deserve the Cup :thumbup1:

[hitemfrank]

I thought it was a pretty poor final to be honest. It reminded me of many of the Liverpool games I watched this season. One side dominates most of the game but just dont look creative enough to score.

Chelsea turned up with a plan of defend for as long as possible and try snatch a goal. I'm not a fan of this mentality (even if it did ultimately work out for them) - it's just so negative and shows a lack of ambition in my book.

Bayern Munich went out from the start and dominated the game and looked to actually try win the game. They just looked so devoid of ides when they got into the important areas of the pitch that it took a stupid foul by Drogba (in an otherwise great game from him) to give them a chance to grab the win in extra time - and they couldn't even put that away. Although I'm not surprised that Robben missed the penalty as he was pretty poor all night.

Also, John Terry - not a classy guy. Going from suit and tie in the first half, to training outfit in the second, to being in full kit after the final whistle. Just looked like someone who wanted the headlines and his picture in the newspapers.






But on a side note - I finished top of the fantasy football league we had running.

[rm71]

Not the result I was hoping for.

[Kevan]

All that matters when you get to finals is win. Anyone can slag on Chelsea all they want and praise Bayern for "trying" to win, but who won? Seriously, who won? Bayern had loads of chances, scored in the 83rd minute AND COULD NOT CLOSE THE GAME OUT, on the biggest stage, in their own stadium. They even had a penalty in added time!

It's been 24 hours and I keep hearing the same thing from people. Negative tactics, didn't play the game beautifully, blah blah. "Lack ambition"? Are you kidding? Who the heck DOESN'T have ambition to win the trophy if they get to a final?

So what? The trophy went to the team that got their tactics right. Oh, and they were helped by a home team that had 20 chances on goal and scored once.

[kroberts]

Mostly disappointed a Chelsea win knocked the Spurs out of the Champion's League next year. Ah well.

[bonzos_beard]

hopefully abramovich will walk away now - and leave the club to rot.

[Rushman2112]

hopefully abramovich will walk away now - and leave the club to rot.

With you on this mate. To me Chelski and Man City epitomise what is wrong with the EPL: dodgy characters pumping in unheard of sums of money to clubs that were past their sell-by date, bringing in a plethora of over paid divers and cheats. UEFA is trying to address the issue with their "fair play" system which essentially says clubs cannot get into debt, but the people behind these clubs will just slap in whatever is necessary. How the EPL could let someone like Khun Taksin buy into a club is beyond words for instance. How many English players actually play for the clubs in question? Maybe 3 at most out of a matchday squad of 16? Over 40% of players in total are foriegners, and we wonder why the English national team is so poor at World Cups and European Championships. Sorry, will stop ranting now and take my meds.

[Kevan]

One can only hope that the leagues learn their lesson after the Shinawatra, Venky's, and now Craig Whyte debacles. But again, the "bought trophy" argument doesn't hold water with me. Aside from Porto in 2004, name one winner of the UCL in the last decade that hasn't been a well-off "rich" club. Even everyone's darlings Barcelona (a team as full of cheaters and divers as you will ever see....remember the farce that was the '09 final?) are a VERY rich club, yet no one accuses them of buying the trophy, which is a double standard if you ask me. But then again, if there is one team in the world that is held to a different standard, it is Barca, a team whose DEFENDERS even roll around if someone clips their heels.

Anyway, is the reason they get a pass only because they aren't owned by a single individual? If that's the case, that's a silly argument too. The fact of the matter is the best players go where they can be paid a lot of money. The PROBLEM is that teams like Man City (and Chelsea before them) changed the dynamic of what "a lot of money" is.

[hitemfrank]

So what? The trophy went to the team that got their tactics right. Oh, and they were helped by a home team that had 20 chances on goal and scored once.

We'll have to agree to isagree on Chelsea getting their tactics right. For me, it was more that Bayern were hopeless in front of goal than Chelsea getting their tactics spot on.

Dont get me wrong, Chelsea defended brilliantly for most of the game but Bayern had more than enough clear chances to win it. They threw it away.

Also Arjen Robben backing out of taking a penalty in the shootout was disappointing. He had a chance to somewhat redeem himself and wouldn't put his name forward for a spot kick. Although he probably would hhave missed it anyway judging by how he played in the game.

[hitemfrank]

With you on this mate. To me Chelski and Man City epitomise what is wrong with the EPL: dodgy characters pumping in unheard of sums of money to clubs that were past their sell-by date, bringing in a plethora of over paid divers and cheats. UEFA is trying to address the issue with their "fair play" system which essentially says clubs cannot get into debt, but the people behind these clubs will just slap in whatever is necessary. How the EPL could let someone like Khun Taksin buy into a club is beyond words for instance. How many English players actually play for the clubs in question? Maybe 3 at most out of a matchday squad of 16? Over 40% of players in total are foriegners, and we wonder why the English national team is so poor at World Cups and European Championships. Sorry, will stop ranting now and take my meds.

The fair play rules are designed in a way that clubs can only spend a certain percentage on their income in a seaons. They also prevent rich owners from pumping massive amounts of money into the club each year as 'gifts' to make it seem like the clubs have more income than they actually do.

I think over three years it will go down to something like £10 million a year that owners will be allowed to put in.

However all the rules will end up doing is allowing the clubs with the biggest incomes to spend more than the clubs who bring in less money. So you could still end up with clubs gambling that their revenue will stay the same for a number of seasons and spend as much as they are allowed.

If their income does drop though they could be in some real danger...

[zeeco]

Chelsea had a lot of luck along the way but took full advantage, Messi and Robben missing penalties spring to mind, but don't forgot Chelsea were robbed by poor refereeing desicions a few years ago against barca, it's not just that billionaire owners are splashing the cash that is driving up players prices, there are far fewer great players in football today than 10 years ago. Let's hope Man United can do the treble again, far too much Blue celebrating.

[pringe]

Football, bloody hell!
KTBFFH :001_tt1:

[xXClockwork]

Wahhhhhhhh. You know what beautiful football is? Winning football. All of the fast paced attacking machines sat at home while Chelsea lifted the trophy.

[Don Barbiere]

Congrats to Chelsea! Not my team, but if you menage to win it, is all that matters, no matter the style of play the final result is what matters. Incredible soccer this year and I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to Euro 2012. Lets keep this thread going :) Congratulations to Keith(hitemfrank) for winning the UCL Fantasy B&B League. Hopefully more people join in for the next one. I will be starting Euro 2012 Fantasy League for B&B once it becomes available for all those interested. It was a lot of fun.

[hitemfrank]

Thanks Zee.

I'd be interested in doing another for the Euro 2012 so I look forward to beating you all again :lol::wink2:

[mretzloff]

As a German, I am sad to see one of our teams lose, but congratulations to Chelsea and its fans.

Now, only two-ish weeks until UEFA Euro starts. Anyone have any predictions yet? I think we will see a repeat final between Germany and Spain with Spain winning again.

[hitemfrank]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that England will get to the final this year. Not sure what gives me that feeling but maybe the fact that this could be the last tournament for Lampard and Gerrard it may give them an extra incentive to win. Plus I'd like to see Roy Hodgson have a good tournament as manager.

I dont think Ireland will progress put of the groups stages unfortnately. I think third in the group is the best we can hope for.

[pdillon]

I think the top three teams will be Netherlands, Germany, & perhaps France.

David Villa is out for the whole tournament right? I think without him, and with Torres's form, that Spain won't make the final.

So I think a Netherlands x Germany final.

France seems to have a lot of talent, but the national team was a laughing stock at the world cup. If they've recovered from that they should have a very good chance. It looks like they could win their group without too much trouble. As an Arsenal fan, I highly rate Koscielny and Sagna. Even without Sagna (leg break), they have Evra at right back. So the defense of Evra, Mexes, Koscielny, & Clichy, amazing depth in midfield, and then Benzema up front...

On paper I think they look very strong (if, maybe, a little short on strikers)... but I'm not sure if they put all the stuff of South Africa 2010 behind them.

/

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that England will get to the final this year.
Looks like England have a tough group: England, Italy, Germany, & Russia. I think England's lack of forwards (even including Rooney) will be problematic for them.

[pdillon]

Also, regarding the CL Final...

I agree it wasn't the best in terms of quality football, but I found it to be very compelling. Drogba's equalizer was like the stuff of a fairy tale, and then Robben's penalty... what drama!

[hitemfrank]

Looks like England have a tough group: England, Italy, Germany, & Russia. I think England's lack of forwards (even including Rooney) will be problematic for them.


England are in a group with Ukraine Sweden and France.

Still tough but I think they should be able to get out of that group.

[Kevan]

Chelsea have provided the template to beat Spain after doing away with Barcelona in the UCL (and since Barca is basically Spain on the club level). I'd LOVE to see team after team go out and frustrate the heck out of them. Unfortunately, that's not what UEFA or the fans want so it won't happen. Spain CAN win this year, and if they do, I don't believe there's been this kind of continental and world dominance since the great German sides of the early 70's. But a Spain without David Villa is a weaker side.

Hard to see Germany not making at least the semifinals. What will France under Laurent Blanc do? And watch out for Russia. This year they could be like Turkey in '08.

Unfortunately, I've learned my lesson from tournaments past and will not make any sort of prediction for England. I always thought we could make the quarters of any tournament but now I'm not so sure. On paper we have a team that other nations would envy. But I think Hodgson erred in selecting that idiot Andy Carroll and as much as I like Jermain Defoe, he's not as dangerous as he was 2 seasons ago. Where's our firepower going to come from?

[pdillon]

England are in a group with Ukraine Sweden and France.

My mistake, I was looking at wikipedia and mistook the "pots" (where they draw the balls from) for the groups.

[Kostas1]

As a German, I am sad to see one of our teams lose, but congratulations to Chelsea and its fans.

Now, only two-ish weeks until UEFA Euro starts. Anyone have any predictions yet? I think we will see a repeat final between Germany and Spain with Spain winning again.

I may be a bit biased, but I like my Blue and Whites to make some noise in the Euro. Still have the strong defense we're known for, but added some play makers in the middle to help create opportunities.

As for the comments on Greece in '04, you play to the strengths of your players. King Otto recognized that we didn't have the strikers necessary to take an attacking approach, but had very strong defenders. It may sound cold, but in the end, it really is about hoisting the trophy.

[hitemfrank]

With Rooney suspended for the first 2 group games (he should really be out of all 3 imo) Englands front line doesn't look too good.

Andy Carroll - 9 goals in 47 games this season
Jermain Defoe - 17 gals in 38 games
Danny Welback - 12 goals in 40 games

I assume it will be Andy Carroll up front with one of the other two playing off him.

At least with England you only have to watch Carroll him every now and then. You didn't pay £35 million like the team I support did and have to watch him drag his sorry self around the pitch every week.

[hitemfrank]

My mistake, I was looking at wikipedia and mistook the "pots" (where they draw the balls from) for the groups.

The only reason I noticed was because you mentioned Italy and I knew they are in the same group as Ireland.

[pdillon]

Or they could have Gerrard off of Carroll and keep Wellbeck & Defoe on the bench.

I think most of the danger from England will come from the flanks so having a target man like Carroll might not be all bad. And he must have a little bit more confidence now than he did at the beginning of the season... I'm trying to lift your spirits!

[hitemfrank]

As a Liverpool fan I would have thought his confidence would be fairly high after a big money move. So far he has just proved to be a fairly infuriating player to watch.

[Kevan]

Memo to Ashley Young:

Please DO play marauder all over the attacking third while lashing in unstoppable crosses and unleashing breathtaking shots (hopefully scoring goals in the process). Please DON'T dive. You're not Spanish or Italian or Portuguese, so you can't pull it off.

Thank you.

Memo to Gerrard....although I don't support Liverpool, I've always liked you. But now is the time for you to become the talisman for England. This is a bigger stage than any FA Cup game you've played the hero. So please, do something worthy of a "Captain Fantastic."

Memo to Andy Carroll: Um, please go out drinking and break team curfew so Hodgson has to deny you from playing. Seriously, that's the best way you can help this team. You're useless otherwise.

[mretzloff]

Kevan, I unfortunately missed the Chelsea vs. Barcelona game. Would you sharing how they were able to frustrate Barcelona?

[Kevan]

Basically the term would be "park the bus" combined with hitting on the break. People will tell you that Chelsea were lucky but they won over 2 legs and drew 2-2 at the Nou Camp (3-2 agg.). As the tie wore on you could see the Barca players getting nervous and taking more chances. Throwing more players forward, taking potshots. 70% possession and 1000 passes per game it may have been, but over 2 games the prolific Barca found the net only twice.

Spain plays in a very similar fashion. But without Villa and a misfiring Torres in the final third, they could struggle against teams who want to put 9 in front of the goal. But if that happens, I don't expect it to happen until the knockout stages. I don't think the fans or UEFA want negative football against the champions.

Part of me wants to see Spain win a 3rd successive tournament. I wasn't alive the last time it happened. But part of me also wants to see their wings finally clipped.

[Absolute Mustard]

Basically the term would be "park the bus" combined with hitting on the break. People will tell you that Chelsea were lucky but they won over 2 legs and drew 2-2 at the Nou Camp (3-2 agg.). As the tie wore on you could see the Barca players getting nervous and taking more chances. Throwing more players forward, taking potshots. 70% possession and 1000 passes per game it may have been, but over 2 games the prolific Barca found the net only twice.

Spain plays in a very similar fashion. But without Villa and a misfiring Torres in the final third, they could struggle against teams who want to put 9 in front of the goal. But if that happens, I don't expect it to happen until the knockout stages. I don't think the fans or UEFA want negative football against the champions.

Part of me wants to see Spain win a 3rd successive tournament. I wasn't alive the last time it happened. But part of me also wants to see their wings finally clipped.

Chelsea were lucky. Very lucky.

They played with tremendous heart and grit, but there were many places where they should have been knocked out, but somehow pushed on.

How many times did Barca hit the post, or mishit a shot when they normally score? Two missed penalties from the opposition (Messi and Robben) that would have eliminated the from the competition. Only 18% possession at the nou camp and only 3 shots on goal.

[pdillon]

By no means am I defending Chelsea. I too think they were lucky.

But when they needed a goal, both against Barcelona and Bayern, they stepped up and got it: first from Ramires and then from Drogba. Both were excellent goals.

[zeeco]

I'm English and believe me we have no chance of winning the Euro's, i expect Germany, Holland, Spain and France to be strong and there is always an outsider that does well, maybe an eastern European side.
I think many people forgot that football is about defending as well attacking, yes Bayern went forward many times more than Chelsea but remember both David Luiz and Cahill were only 80% fit and Ashley Cole made Robben, Schweinsteiger, Muller and Gomez look like Muppets, as an ex defender people forget that timing a challenge is an art.

[Kevan]

Chelsea were lucky. Very lucky.

They played with tremendous heart and grit, but there were many places where they should have been knocked out, but somehow pushed on.

How many times did Barca hit the post, or mishit a shot when they normally score? Two missed penalties from the opposition (Messi and Robben) that would have eliminated the from the competition. Only 18% possession at the nou camp and only 3 shots on goal.
"Would have." But didn't. Chelsea were lucky yes. But this is over two games. Not one, but TWO GAMES.

I'm sorry, but Barca were beaten. Barca fans and the Spanish media need to just accept it. If they weren't nervous and frustrated and feeling pressured, they would've put the tie to bed long before. They would not have hit the post. They would not have missed penalties. They would not have been caught on the break so woefully. They would not have allowed two goals at the Nou Camp. Barcelona is a team that thrives on (and is used to) domination. But if you disrupt that flowing rhythm, they get frustrated and make mistakes. That's what happened, more than the luck. And oh yeah....Ramires' tie-levelling goal at the Nou Camp wasn't lucky. That was textbook fast break stuff on a team that was pushed too far up because they got complacent after they scored.

Give Chelsea their due.

[Absolute Mustard]

I gave them their due. They put in good performances. Any team that wins a CL or the PL deserves it. Both competitions demand great strength and character from their winners.

Just saying that Chelsea were lucky in a lot of instances, and you seem to agree with that as well.

I also like how people treat Chelsea like this great David and Goliath story. Any team that is in the top 4 for payroll should win games like this.


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| Chelsea
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| Los Angeles Lakers
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Yankees
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[pdillon]

Another contributing factor was that Real Madrid & Barca played one another in between the two Chelsea X Barcelona legs. In both the Barca x Chelsea and Madrid x Bayern games, it looked like the Spanish teams really ran out of steam and the underdog teams won.

[Don Barbiere]

Here is the code to join B&B Euro 2012 Fantasy League.
133012-31105

[hitemfrank]

Which site are we using for the Fantasy League?

[Don Barbiere]

Which site are we using for the Fantasy League?


Here you go Keith,

http://en.euro2012fantasy.uefa.com/

You can use the same log in info you used for the CL Fantasy.

[hitemfrank]

Thanks Zee. I'll get a team set up in the next few days.

[zeeco]

Could i have the code pleeeeease?

[hitemfrank]

Should be the same as the one just up the page:
133012-31105


Thanks for posting in the thread. It's reminded me I still need to get a team put together.

[zeeco]

Anytime i clink on anything underlined some virus called text enhance pops up, so i can't see the code, hence why i asked for it.

[mretzloff]

Have any of you come up with any brackets or predictions? Mine is bellow. I am by no means an expert, I just enjoy watching international soccer. I really do see Croatia pulling an upset against Spain.

http://oi48.tinypic.com/209jdcx.jpg

[Don Barbiere]

First game tommorow, make sure you eneter a team if you willing to participate. Zeeco, do you have a problem with the websie address or the league code. The league code you enter once you log in to your account at uefa.com. The address above.

[hitemfrank]

Will put together a team in a few hours. Keep forgetting to do it :lol:

[zeeco]

I've chosen my team just need the league code thanks.

[Don Barbiere]

I've chosen my team just need the league code thanks.

133012-31105

[hitemfrank]

I sent it to him in a PM earlier.

I have my team ready - just need to name it and join the league now.

[Shadowsforbars]

Group B looks the hardest to pick. I can see the eventual winner coming from that group.

[zeeco]

Looking forward to this competition chaps, harder to predict than domestic football, may the best team win.

[Omp]

I've joined the fantasy league - not many of us there!

[mretzloff]

Did anyone watch either of the first two matches? I watched the Greece vs. Poland one, but missed the Russia vs. Czech Republic one. Greece did not play very well and got some tough calls against them. It was pretty amazing that they were able to at least equalize it. I really think they should have won it, though. They got some pretty good opportunities towards the end, like that one penalty kick.

[mretzloff]

Two good games today. Denmark played very well. The Netherlands had many chances, but did not use them to their advantage. I was honestly underwhelmed by the way the Dutch played. Portugal played well in their game against Germany. I still do not understand all the hype surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo. He contains to play unimpressive on the international stage. Jérôme Boateng did a great job defending Cristiano Ronaldo.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Doesn't Messi play Messy on the international stage, too? Had a hat trick today.

I'm rooting for Germany (who just won) and France. Two out of the three countries of my heritage. The other one is Ireland, who is in the tournament, but let's get serious here. I got my penchant for masochism out by rooting for England (totally done with that) in the past two World Cups. I think that a good first step for the French would be to get off the bus this time around.

[mretzloff]

Group C's play today was interesting. I thought Spain would pull out a win, but Italy did a great job. Italy should have won that game. I would love to see Croatia win that group. One more win and Croatia is all but guaranteed that group.

[dcforti]

If Croatia win's another game however I don't think the odds are in their favor. Beating Ireland isn't the biggest accomplishment as they are arguably the weakest team within the whole tournament. At this point it would be a mistake for either Spain or Italy to underestimate Croatia because of the W. My thoughts are group C will finish Spain, Italy, Croatia, Ireland

[hitemfrank]

So, from the people in the fantasy league was I thee only one who forgot to set up my formation and team properly after picking all of the players?

It only dawned on me yesterday that I hadn't done it so I have actually no clue what team is going to end up playing for me in this round of games :lol:

[Dennard]

I'm fairly happy with England's draw with France today. Even though they could have won it. . .

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Match Stats
France England



|- id="334190Shots"
| id="334190homeShots" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 21(7)
| style="text-align: center" | Shots (on Goal)
| id="334190awayShots" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 5(1)
|- id="334190Fouls"
| id="334190homeFouls" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 9
| style="text-align: center" | Fouls
| id="334190awayFouls" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 7
|- id="334190Corners"
| id="334190homeCorners" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 11
| style="text-align: center" | Corner Kicks
| id="334190awayCorners" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 4
|- id="334190Offsides"
| id="334190homeOffsides" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 0
| style="text-align: center" | Offsides
| id="334190awayOffsides" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 5
|- id="334190Possession"
| id="334190homePossession" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 65%
| style="text-align: center" | Time of Possession
| id="334190awayPossession" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 35%
|- id="334190Yellow"
| id="334190homeYellow" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 0
| style="text-align: center" | Yellow Cards
| id="334190awayYellow" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 2
|- id="334190Red"
| id="334190homeRed" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 0
| style="text-align: center" | Red Cards
| id="334190awayRed" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 0
|- id="334190Saves"
| id="334190homeSaves" style="width: 20%; text-align: left" | 0
| style="text-align: center" | Saves
| id="334190awaySaves" style="width: 20%; text-align: right" | 6
|-


You should be elated that they got a draw.

[zeeco]

I thought the first half was 50/50 however in the second half only France looked like scoring, A draw is a good result for England, Glenn Johnson and Milner are not international class.

[Laplace]

Go Sweden!

[honed]

Go Sweden!

Wet blanket over the whole country today :a36:

[Laplace]

Wet blanket over the whole country today :a36:
Yeah :crying:

[honed]

On another note, I don't see how anyone is gonna stop Germany.
Spain&Portugal doesn't have anyone making the goals, Holland have to many huge egos on the field at the same time.
Italy looks interesting, but not quite there. France will bore themselves to death, England is to scared to fail to succeed.

Germany it is!

[mretzloff]

The Czech Republic played a great game today. They were down, facing elimination, but came back to win. I would not mind seeing Greece eliminated.

[honed]

I've seen several reports this morning about the Netherlands being divided into two seperate "gangs"
They won't stand a chance against the German Machine.

Portugal really need to step up tonite if they are to handle Denmark.
Ronaldo sure needs to focus more on his feet then on his hair this time...

I really, really look forward to both games tonite!

[hitemfrank]

So after not actually setting up my fantasy team properly for the first set of fixtures, I followed that up by forgetting when the second round of fixtures started.

So that means for two rounds of fixtures I've not had the team I wanted playing. Not the best start I could have hoped for.

[zeeco]

Holland are dreadful, I know Germany are good, i expect them to win the comp, but Holland made them look super Amazing. It may work out for Denmark as Germany will be through and will save themselves for the knock out stages.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I didn't think Holland looked THAT bad. In the first half, yeah. They had a flourish, though, around the 70th minute. It seemed like after that they were threatening to score, and did score once, for the remainder. They had a lot of opportunities, but weren't able to convert. Not much consolation.

Just looked up Arjen Robben on ESPN. I had thought this guy was almost 40!

[mretzloff]

The Dutch are lucky the game did not end 3-1, 4-1, or even worse. That header from the cross (cannot remember who missed that) and Mats Hummels' missed shot were only two of the many opportunities the Germans missed. Overall, I think the Germans looked great, the Dutch not so much.

The Portugal-Denmark game was very interesting, definitely the best game so far this tournament.

I am interested to see who moves on. The guys on ESPN sure enjoyed mentioning a thousand times that the Netherlands are not eliminated yet.

[talibeard]

The guys on ESPN sure enjoyed mentioning a thousand times that the Netherlands are not eliminated yet.

I really hope we don't bore the rest of the world with yet another walking game after the match against Portugal. Something is completely missing in that team and I think they are the most static team I have seen sofar. I am going to watch Germany-Denmark btw and hope to see a real match.


I will look as much as I can with a special interest in Russia, Croatia and Ukraine as very entertaining outsiders for the title. But when the Dutch don't start to work for a result instead of wait for it to happen I am happy to see them come home after the match against Portugal.....

[mretzloff]

I really hope we don't bore the rest of the world with yet another walking game after the match against Portugal. Something is completely missing in that team and I think they are the most static team I have seen sofar. I am going to watch Germany-Denmark btw and hope to see a real match.

The Dutch have really surprised me. They should at least be 1-1, maybe 2-0 right now. I think they will win their next game. They played a lot better in the second half of today's game.

[Leon]

The Portugal-Denmark game was very interesting, definitely the best game so far this tournament.


Oh boy... we could have solved the game early by making 3-0, but no... in the good old Portuguese way of making things: let's complicate things a little more, we don't like easy things, so let's let Denmark tie the game and let Ronaldo miss incredible chances.

What a match... I was having a heart attack :tongue_sm

[Kevan]

Watching Ronaldo become a HUGE talent in the past two years has been extraordinary. Watching him de-volve whenever he's in a Portugal shirt is perplexing.

[honed]

Spain has finally gotten their game together. However Irland isn't really a good measure either, looking mighty dull...

Denmark-Portugal was indeed a great game to watch!

[mretzloff]

Spain has finally gotten their game together. However Irland isn't really a good measure either, looking mighty dull...

Denmark-Portugal was indeed a great game to watch!

Yup, that Portugal game was great. I feel sorry for Ronaldo. He must be upset with himself.

I do not think the game against Ireland means anything for Spain. I watched a good amount of the game, and the way Ireland was passing (or better, their lack of properly passing) would have allowed anyone to win. I see Croatia and Spain moving on. Then again, almost all of my picks so far have been incorrect :lol:

[talibeard]

I see Croatia and Spain moving on. Then again, almost all of my picks so far have been incorrect :lol:

I would love to see Croatia move on but with the coming matches I think the chances of Italy are much better. I have to say I like the game of the Italians a lot better than I did for the last decade or two...

[zeeco]

Sweden vs England has the potential to be the dullest game of the Euro's, let's hope not. England have never beaten Sweden in a competitive match, come on the 3 Lions.

[Seraphim]

Our last thread was deleted because a banned member started it, so here is a new one.

Discuss anything pertaining to UEFA 2012 qualifying matches, Champions League matches, etc.


Seraphim, feel free to join as well :wink: :biggrin:


Let me just say that banning members for starting soccer threads is at least a good start!:w00t:

Kudos to the mods!:001_cool:



Just kidding, guys, I'll be good now.....

[hotreds]

Forza azzuri!

[Kevan]

Wow...England v. Sweden was quite a game. One arrogant ponytail (Carroll) was a hero while another (Ibrahimovic) is headed home. Hodgson looks clever with the Walcott sub.

[Dennard]

So glad to see England finally get a win versus Sweden!

[Kevan]

I want to see how the Brit media spin this. Some already are calling it a good test of mettle but others are saying it's nothing to get excited about. The latter are right. Defensive lapses abound in this squad. Also, the Welbeck goal deserves all the praise it gets. If Messi or Ronaldo or anyone on the Spanish squad had done that the world press would be purring. That goal was great stuff.

[mretzloff]

Anyone else find it amusing how ESPN keeps getting the tiebreakers wrong? Five minutes of research would tell anyone that Euro tiebreakers ≠ World Cup tiebreakers.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Poetic justice that Russia and Poland go home. Good riddance.

[mretzloff]

I am sad to see Russia eliminated. I would have loved for my Germans to destroy the Greeks in the quarterfinals and then turn around and pummel the Russians in the semifinals.

[shm]

Fingers crossed for tonight - hopefully the small kingdom to the north can repeat the great result from 20 years ago against the mighty southern neighbour :001_smile

[mretzloff]

Too bad Denmark lost. They played well against Germany and sure gave Portugal a run for their money. Beating the Netherlands was a sight to see as well. I am just in amazement that the Netherlands went 0-3-0. I would have thought 2-1-0, maybe 1-1-1. Had someone told me the Netherlands would lose more than one game at the beginning of the tournament, I would have laughed.

I am nervous to see Cristiano Ronaldo score two goals, especially since Germany may face him and his teammates in the semifinals. I see Spain and Italy advancing tomorrow.

[shm]

Well, I was hoping but had expected Denmark to go home now, it was some really tough competition to be up against, but the boys did well all things considered.
The Netherlands has been a big disappointment, with all those high profile players they should be doing (a lot) better IMO.

Still some interesting games coming up.

[mretzloff]

Spain did not look too good today. Croatia played well, but Spain is a much better team and should have scored earlier.

[Leon]

Fingers crossed for tonight - hopefully the small kingdom to the north can repeat the great result from 20 years ago against the mighty southern neighbour :001_smile

Sorry Søren , that didn't happen. :001_tt2:

Portugal had their best match yet and it seems that we are getting better each match we play. We had a slow start, but now we're in full throttle. Now, we'll get Czech Republic in the quarters.
If Ronaldo plays as good as he knows how to, this should be a walk in the park, with all respect to the Czechs.

Go Portugal!

[json]

The Netherlands has been a big disappointment, with all those high profile players they should be doing (a lot) better IMO.

+1. I believe their squad was the exact same as the WC squad in South Africa. Robben is taking the majority of the blame from the Dutch supporters. There has to be something going on behind the scenes we're not privy to.

in other news: England over Ukraine with rooneys return. and the swedes to beat the french. which would set up some amazing knockout round games for the weekend!

[Kevan]

I love how confident Germany always is about tournaments despite not winning anything in their last 7 attempts. Greece is going to frustrate them but they should still make it to the semis. I'm not sure I see them in the final, though. The wild card matches on the quarters I think will be Czech Rep v Portugal and England v. Italy. Both are too close to call. Spain will go to fourth gear to put away France. I forsee a 3-2 result in an open match.

Italy struggling against Ireland and the EPL beating up on Italian opposition in recent years on the Champion's League makes me quietly confident about England v. Italy, even though there's nothing to be excited about with England and Italy has the edge in the attacking dept.

I literally have no idea about CZE v. POR.

[Leon]

Here are some good looking Portuguese fans :wink2:

252124

252123

[wimbouman]

http://www.noordhollandsdagblad.nl/incoming/article16212043.ece/ALTERNATES/w470/NL_elftal.jpg

[shm]

Here are some good looking Portuguese fans :wink2:

252124

252123

:thumbup:

[mretzloff]

I love how confident Germany always is about tournaments despite not winning anything in their last 7 attempts. Greece is going to frustrate them but they should still make it to the semis. I'm not sure I see them in the final, though.

Seriously? They just went 3-0 in the toughest group in the tournament. Germany should roll right past Greece. Granted, there is that offchance that Greece wins, but if the past is any indication of the future, Greece has no chance.


I see Germany, Portugal, Italy, and Spain advancing.

[hitemfrank]

Forgot to set up my team for the fantasy football... again.

[Matthew h]

:thumbup:

Totally agree, looked for those girls in tonight's game, didn't see them :(

[mretzloff]

Both teams played well today. I wish it would have gone into penalty kicks. Oh well, congratulations, Portugal.

[Leon]

Both teams played well today. I wish it would have gone into penalty kicks. Oh well, congratulations, Portugal.

We're in the "semi's"! :thumbup:

Let's have Spain or France now!

[zeeco]

Oh no, I was mucking around with my fantasy league team and somehow managed to sub 2 portugese players who had earned me 8 points, now i have no points :-(

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Does anyone know why Germany benched Mario Gomez? Why was he used as a reserve?

I only saw the first half, which was such a complete massacre (even though it was only 1-0) that I figured I might as well do something else. Still, Germany had a ton of chances they didn't convert in the first 45.

[hitemfrank]

I think it was probably to do with the Germans being confident that they wouldn't need to start him in order to beat Greece.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

That's what I ASSUMED, but I've never even heard of that - a team being so confident they'll win that they bench their leading scorer or one of their best players in a game with tremendous significance. That would be like if the Miami Heat had just decided to bench Dwyane Wade last night, because they figured LeBron could handle it. I don't know if it's insolent, arrogant, brilliant, or a mixture of all three. It's pretty hilarious.

[mretzloff]

Germany played well today. They missed several opportunities, but still scored four goals, despite playing without Müller, Podolski, and Gomez.



Does anyone know why Germany benched Mario Gomez? Why was he used as a reserve?

I only saw the first half, which was such a complete massacre (even though it was only 1-0) that I figured I might as well do something else. Still, Germany had a ton of chances they didn't convert in the first 45.

According to ESPN and a few articles I read online, Klose had played well against Greece in the past (and did again today).

[hitemfrank]

Yeah, Klose is not exactly a bad replacement to have if you want to give on of the forwards a rest.

He's 2nd on Germany's all time goalscorer list and also second on the list of goal scorers in World Cups.

[shm]

Not a bad match.

I am however looking forward to today's - I hope Spain sends the French home, I just love the way the Spanish team is playing.

[Leon]

Not a bad match.

I am however looking forward to today's - I hope Spain sends the French home, I just love the way the Spanish team is playing.

That's what I'm afraid of. :concern:

France or Spain against Portugal will be tough.

[Dennard]

I hope Spain sends the French home

Me, too.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I'm rooting for France. I am not at all confident.

[zeeco]

That's what I ASSUMED, but I've never even heard of that - a team being so confident they'll win that they bench their leading scorer or one of their best players in a game with tremendous significance. That would be like if the Miami Heat had just decided to bench Dwyane Wade last night, because they figured LeBron could handle it. I don't know if it's insolent, arrogant, brilliant, or a mixture of all three. It's pretty hilarious.

Well football is a very different game, 90 minutes of intensity in a physical game and some players would have completed over 50 games a season, and the Euro's require players very little recovery time. Squad rotation is an art in itself, and not forgetting some forwards are better as a target man like Andy Carroll and Gomez and some are better in 4-4-2 formations with a strike partner, this is what makes Football such an intriguing sport. I have to say international football is usually boring compared with the likes of the premiership, however this Euro 2012 has been really good.....so far

[Escosse73]

Well football is a very different game, 90 minutes of intensity in a physical game and some players would have completed over 50 games a season, and the Euro's require players very little recovery time. Squad rotation is an art in itself, and not forgetting some forwards are better as a target man like Andy Carroll and Gomez and some are better in 4-4-2 formations with a strike partner, this is what makes Football such an intriguing sport. I have to say international football is usually boring compared with the likes of the premiership, however this Euro 2012 has been really good.....so far

Excellent point mate !

Scott

[mretzloff]

Wow, France just put the nail in their own coffin. I do like how Xabi Alonso being able to make a penalty kick makes ESPN's commentators call Spain "the team to beat". I agree with ESPN, but Spain is the team to beat for many other reasons than their ability to make penalty kicks. ESPN is out in left field as usual.

[Tacheless]

Spain 2 v 0 France ....

Terrible match to watch !

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Spain 2 v 0 France ....

Terrible match to watch !

Yes! Sooooooooooooo frustrating. I've still got Germany to root FOR, but I'm now going for an "anyone but Spain" mindset, as well. Tired of these pesky, pequeno buggers. (They're good, though.)

[BRuhling]

WOW! Italy advances on penalties, but if they can't play better than this, Germany has an easy road to the championship!

[Kevan]

Bad game. Terrible from England. They seemed nervous in the final third.

Same old story losing out on penalties....

[WickedSwde]

Congrats to the Country of proraso and other stuff ...
I almost felt sorry for Greece ... so so humiliated.

[mretzloff]

England played poorly, but Italy probably played worse because they should have easily been able to score against England, especially towards the end of the game when England could not hold the ball for more than two or three passes.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I didn't care about the result of this game. I thought Italy was much better from what I saw.

I have mixed feelings about penalties. It's definitely exciting. It's one of the most exciting things in all of sports, in my opinion. It's also incredibly goofy. It turns a very team oriented sport into a very individual competition. Exciting, but dumb. Like having the five best players on opposing basketball teams decide the outcome of the game in a three point shoot out.

I think they should make it so that the players that take the shots are defenders and the goal keeper. That would be amusing.

[mretzloff]

I think we need to send Marco over to the Italian national team. Some of their players looked like they could use a good wet shave.

[Kevan]

Before they fix penalties, UEFA needs to be whipped for allowing one semifinal participant two extra days' rest more than the other. What a stupid, unfair advantage for Germany, when it could've easily been avoided.

[Kevan]

Final thoughts on England. I don't really agree with Ian Darke and Macca when they say England are only as good as they showed in this tournament. The team is rebuilding, yes. But lest we forget that this team cruised through the qualifiers and can score for fun when it wants to. Ashley Young phoned it in when he's capable of much more. Walcott overran the ball more than once in the Italy game and looked like he was too anxious to make something happen. Personally, if I were Hodgson, I wouldn't have started Milner after the France game (poor tournament from him), and I would've taken Parker off and slotted Walcott in his place against Italy in the 2nd half. I would've been more comfortable with someone of Walcott's ability thrusting up through the center like Parker was doing constantly in this game (and losing the ball in the process).

Fair play to Carroll scoring his goal early on, but I still don't rate him as a player. He's largely useless. England play better with a Owen/Defoe type than a Carroll/Heskey/Crouch type up front.

[zeeco]

As an Englishman I can say we went as far as we could go, technically we know we are poor and when you don't have the ball you expend much more energy, we had our worse squad for 30 years but didn't get embarrassed by anyone, i mean we even won our group and drove Italy to penalties, i'll settle for that. the game was played with great respect by both sides with no play acting or bad challenges. May the best team win.

[jmorris]

I'm very happy with the match-ups that we will be getting with the semis. Anything can happen of course but I think we are in for some very exciting football for the rest of this tournament. I know that Italy had trouble scoring today but they seem to be playing pretty well, regardless, and shouldn't be as easy of a match for the Germans as some would expect. Of course, with that being said, Italy is probably going to have to score at least 2 goals to stay in the game. I'm looking for an upset victory on the other side with Portugal coming out on top!

[mretzloff]

I have mixed feelings about penalties. It's definitely exciting. It's one of the most exciting things in all of sports, in my opinion. It's also incredibly goofy. It turns a very team oriented sport into a very individual competition. Exciting, but dumb. Like having the five best players on opposing basketball teams decide the outcome of the game in a three point shoot out.

I think they should make it so that the players that take the shots are defenders and the goal keeper. That would be amusing.

I have never thought about this, mostly because I love watching penalty kicks, even though it is very nerve-racking when your team is up. I think another interesting alternative would be having the bench players square off.

[mretzloff]

I'm looking for an upset victory on the other side with Portugal coming out on top!

I hope so. Ronaldo has been playing well the past few games.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I love watching penalty kicks, but at the same time, it just seems like a really stupid way to determine the outcome of a team sport. I remember the '94 World Cup when Brazil beat Italy on PKs when the Italian, Roberto Baggio, one of the best scorers in the world, kicked it over the post on his chance. I was only 11, and I was rooting for Brazil, but it just seemed like a really bizarre way to decide who's World Champion. Both teams go through the difficulties of qualifying for the tournament, they play through the group stage, quarters, semis, whatever, play the championship match for 120 minutes and then everything comes down to a competition that isn't quite based on luck or chance, but doesn't seem, to me at least, to be far from it. It's no longer about team strategy or match ups or anything other than the goalie versus the guy kicking the ball. I think they use it in hockey, as well. I feel the same way about it there.

I was actually mostly kidding about using only defenders and the keeper. But if you're going to determine the outcome of a game watched by millions in such an absurd, borderline comical fashion, you might as well make it as wacky as possible.

[mretzloff]

What do you suggest as an alternative? More than two 15-minute overtime periods? I am not arguing, just curious.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I don't have a clue, to be honest. I would suggest more than two periods, but considering how worn out the players are after 120 minutes, I don't know how much fun, or how entertaining that would be. Maybe a dance off. Seriously, I don't know.

I don't even know that I'm totally opposed to PKs, because it is fun.

[jmorris]

What do you suggest as an alternative? More than two 15-minute overtime periods? I am not arguing, just curious.
My vote would go to the "golden goal" rule.

[mretzloff]

I like them and would keep them. I think they are an accurate measure of a team's ability to score, especially when you consider how much of an advantage the shooter has. Just my two cents.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgMNLPw1yY

[jmorris]

I think that the main argument though (and one that I would also make) is that the team aspect of the game is completely gone during a penalty shoot out.

I'll admit, PKs can be exciting to watch but I think it's still hard to argue that whichever side comes out the victor after one, is the better team at the end of the day.

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I think that the main argument though (and one that I would also make) is that the team aspect of the game is completely gone during a penalty shoot out.



Right.

I also don't know that it is an accurate measure of a team's ability to score, which is a problem I have with it. The Baggio miss is evidence of this. He was FIFA World Player of the Year in '93 and scored five goals in the '94 World Cup, but he missed his PK and Brazil won the game. The guy could obviously score goals, but he missed what is considered "easy." Would he have made it if he tried again? Who knows? David Trezeguet, another great player, missed his for France in 2006.

Golden Goal I like, but in the case of a game like today, it wouldn't have mattered, since no team scored during the 30 minutes.